DANGER ZONE

04.29.13

Syrian P.M. Survives Assassination Attempt

Louai Beshara/AFP/Getty

Well, that was close. Syria’s prime minister narrowly escaped an assassination attempt after a car bomb was detonated in a pricey Damascus neighborhood. State media say that the bomb, which went off by Prime Minister Wael Nader al-Halqi’s convoy, killed a bodyguard. The blast also knocked the windows out of a bus parked nearby. The attack happened in Mezze, a popular spot in the capital for senior officials. The blast is the latest attempt on a high-ranking official—last week an official was shot with a silenced gun at a restaurant in the neighborhood.